NUP protests non-payment of pension, arrears

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Electricity Sector, Rivers/Bayelsa Chapter, has protested against the non-payment of their arrears and pension for over nine months.

The union insisted that the Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO Board should apologise to the families of its late union members, who died waiting to collect arrears and pension.

The President, Rivers/Bayelsa Chapter of the union, Mr. Ufeme Tuka, who addressed newsmen, said the union was ready to take steps to ensure that the government aids the plight of the members of the union, who have been facing difficult times over the nonpayment of their entitlements.

He also said the purpose of the peaceful protest is to bring the attention of the government to know that they have not been receiving their allowances adding that their members are suffering due to the government’s insensitivity to their plight.

He said: “For a long time now, our gratuity and pensions are not paid as at when due by NELMCO. We are in the arrears of the forth month and they have not paid our pensioners.

“Many of our members have died because of this problem of nonpayment of our entitlements because that is the only means in which we make ends meet in our families. We are facing so many challenges. As I talk now so many of our members have died as a result of hunger. We are calling on the government to come to aid. We are suffering so much”.

During the protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the union drew the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to the hardship which their members are going through due to the irregular and non-payment of monthly pension since the beginning of the year.

The union insisted that the Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO Board should apologise to the families of its late union members, who died waiting to collect arrears and pension.